An artist’s impression of MeyGen’s plans to install and run a 398 megawatt tidal energy scheme off Stroma, which has been short-listed for the Scottish Government’s Saltire Prize.

CAITHNESS and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership has given a warm welcome to the announcement that three of the four marine energy schemes bidding for a £10millon renewables prize are located off the far north coast.

The £10 million Saltire Prize offered by the Scottish Government will be won by the team that achieves the greatest volume of electrical output in Scottish waters above a minimum 100 gigawatts an hour over a continuous two-year period, using only the power of the sea.

Making the announcement in Orkney, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon highlighted tidal power sites off the Caithness coast – Meygen, in the Inner Sound and Scottish Power Renewables at the Ness of Duncansby – and Pelamis Wave Power’s site at Farr Point off the north Sutherland coast.

The fourth shortlisted company, Aquamarine Power will use a wave power site off the coast of Lewis.

CNSRP executive board chairman Sir Anthony Cleaver said the announcement is “good news for the development of the wave and tidal industry as a whole as it continues to move towards commercial-scale viability”.

“The economy of the north is changing, and our aspiration is to be able to attract employment opportunities related to the development, operation and maintenance of marine energy devices,” he said.